Happy Indian Army Bagpiper

nobody@flickr.com (Captain Suresh Sharma) — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:33:26 -0800

© Capt Suresh Sharma. All Rights Reserved

Recently, I went to photograph National Skating Championship (schools) at Chandigarh. During the opening ceremony, there was Army Band display by 2nd Sikh Battalion. As I approached these smartly dressed handsome Sikh soldiers, most of them were reluctant to be photographed and turned their faces away as soon as I pointed my camera on any of them; I was quite surprised. Whereas, most people love to be photographed, as they expect to see their photos in the news papers next morning. I was curious to know about the reason for such reluctancy. One of the soldiers gave me the secret of such behaviour that in the villages of Punjab State (in India), team members of a band are from very low caste of the society. In rural India, caste system is still very much in practice. They did not want their relatives and friends to know through the newspapers that they play band in the Indian Army, lest they get ridiculed. As most of their relatives in Punjab will get the local news papers. Next day, I rang up one of my army officer friends, to find out that if the soldiers are reluctant to join the regimental band in the army, then how do they manage to make the team for a regimental band. He told me that they apply all sorts of pressure on soldiers to force them to join.

One of the soldiers of this band asked me about the name of the paper I represent, as all the photographers at the venue were from the press, except me. When I told him that I am not from any newspaper, he told me very happily that then in that case, I could do as many photos as I wish to have. This episode was quite interesting. Anyway, then I had no problems and clicked some photos of the colourful Army Band of the 2nd Sikh Battalion. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_Regiment

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Happy Indian Army Bagpiper